Apparatus for inking ribbons



March 22, 1966 KNlGHT 3,241,522

APPARATUS FOR INKING RIBBONS Filed Oct. 11, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN P. KNIGHT WM/W ATTOR NEY March 22, 1966 J. P. KNIGHT 3,241,522

APPARATUS FOR INKING RIBBONS Filed Oct. 11, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN P. KNIGHT WMJW ATTORNEY March 22, 1966 p, KNIGHT 3,241,522

APPARATUS FOR INKING RIBBONS FiledOct. 11, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet! FIGIZ INVENTOR. JOHN F? KNIGHT Sha -5M A TTORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,241,522 APPARATUS FOR INKING RIBBONS John P. Knight, PO. Box 364, Detroit 32, Mich. Filed Oct. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 144,487 8 Claims. (Cl. 118260) This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 718,206, filed February 28, 1958, now abandoned.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of supplying ink to the continuous bands or ribbons of typewriters or other printing machines of the type using transfer ribbons, and relates more specifically to improved apparatus for maintaining the impression ribbons of various types of printing machines properly supplied with ink.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide improved modes of supplying and of applying fresh ink to the continuous ribbons of printing machines of various kinds.

In the past, it had been commercial practice to supply fresh ink to the advancing continuous ribbons of typewriting machines such as tabulators, by feeding the ink from a supply basin through a wick to the impression face of the traveling ribbon while the latter was being fed from one guiding spool to another. In most of those prior reinking systems, fresh ink was poured into the supply basins from a bottle or other container whenever the supply ran low, and was delivered to the surface of the ribbon by capillary attraction through a flat or rather loosely woven wick. Not only were these previous devices extremely messy due to the method of handling the fresh, highly fluent ink, but also they failed to distribute the ink uniformly upon the ribbon and could not be conveniently adjusted to vary the quantity of fresh ink actually depos ited upon the advancing ribbon surface.

In US. Patent No. 2,599,561, John P. Knight, June 10, 1952, apparatus for inking ribbons is disclosed which largely overcomes these difficulties of the prior art. In the apparatus of that patent, a sealed ink cartridge is provided for application to the printing machine, comprising a hollow container body adapted to contain a quantity of fluid ink. A tube is secured to the body in sealed relationship therewith and opens within the body and projects laterally therefrom. A wick is disposed within the tube and extends within the hollow container body. Means are provided for sealing the free end of the tube, such means being removable to expose the end of the wick for use of the cartridge.

Although the apparatus of that patent provided a dramatic advance over the prior art and swept away most of the shortcomings of what had theretofore been known to the art, it nevertheless was not completely satisfactory with regard to the regulation and uniform distribution of the ink supply. Specifically, there was some tendency for an excess of ink to accumulate at the exposed or applicator end of the wick between periods of use of the machine, with the result that an excess of ink was sometimes delivered to the ribbon when the machine was first placed in use so that the first impressions produced during a run were too heavily inked. Also, the pressure between the ink transfer roller and the portion of the wick in contact therewith was sometimes effective to alter the desired inkfeeding properties of the exposed portion of the wick with ensuing variations in the amount and distribution of the delivered ink.

These further difiiculties were largely solved by the apparatus of John P. Knight Reissue Patent No. 24,854. In the apparatus of that later patent, the problems of nonuniform ink supply and overabundant ink supply are effectively solved by providing that the exposed or applicator ice portion of the wick have reduced capillari'ty as compared to the remainder of the wick so that in effect a continuous valve control over the ink flow is provided adjacent the exposed portion of the wick. In this way, oversupply of ink to the applicator portion of the wick is prevented. Also, the exposed portion of the wick is made harder than the remainder of the wick so as to be nondeformable in contact with an ink transfer member, thereby assuring that ink delivery remains uniform regardless of the pressure between the wick and the transfer member.

With the difficulties of oversupply of ink and fluctuating ink supply removed by the apparatus of the later Knight patent referred to above, it became apparent that several additional difliculties attended the problem of continuously uniformly supplying ink. These additional difiiculties were relatively minor in nature when compared to the major difliculties described above, and it must be emphasized that the existence of these additional difiiculties could not be appreciated until the major diificulties had been removed by the apparatus of the recited Knight patents. In order fully to appreciate the nature of these additional, more subtle difficulties, it should be borne in mind that optimum ink delivery comprises the provision of an applied band of ink of uniform cross-sectional characteristics which do not vary so long as there is any ink remaining to be fed. This is to say that both the thickness and the width of the applied band of ink should have closely controllable dimensions and should remain uniform throughout an entire run, and from run to run, of the printing machine.

Thus, one of the additional difliculties which has only now become apparent is that the thickness of the applied band of ink tends very gradually to decrease during the elfective life of the ink supply device such as the sealed ink cartridge of the basic patent referred to above. This phenomenon does not amount to a cyclical fluctuation in ink delivery, but rather is as though the wick were slowly but progressively drying despite the presence of an ample supply of ink remaining in the ink container.

Accordingly, another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus which will maintain the same rate of ink supply when the ink container is virtually empty as when the ink container is full.

Another additional difficulty was that the width of the applied band of ink tended to be slightly nonuniform. This phenomenon could not be accounted for by deformation of the wick against the ink transfer member, since it was observed even with the hardened wick described above, though to a lesser degree than with a soft wick. Nevertheless, this nonuniformity of width is disadvantageous and it is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus for applying a band of ink of precisely uniform and closely controlled width.

Still another additional difliculty arose in connection with accurately controlling magnitude of the rate of ink flow quits apart from variations in the rate of ink flow. This is to say that even in the absence of variations of ink flow, difiiculty was encountered in the manufacture of wicks which would accurately deliver the desired flow of ink. Thus, even though ink flow might be uniform at all times for a given inking device, that uniform flow was often somewhat more or somewhat less than the flow for which the device was designed. Therefore, it is a still further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for inking ribbons in which ink delivery will not only be uniform throughout the life of the device but also will be precisely at a desired iiow rate.

Finally, difliculty was encountered in mounting the wick accurately in position in the inking device so as not to impair the ink-feeding propertes of the wick, and it is yet another object of the present invention to provide inking devices having improved means for mounting the wick therein.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the follow ing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a representative type of tabulator ribbon-inking assemblage, illustrating the manner in which improved fresh ink supply cartridges and wicks according to the present invention may be applied during actual use;

FIGURE 2 is a central vertical sectional view through an improved ink cartridge according to the present invention, with portions of the hollow body about to be united during production;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged schematic perspective fragmentary view showing certain operative relationships of portions of the structure according to the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View with parts in cross section and parts broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged cross-sectional views of a wick forming part of the present invention, viewed respectively during successive stages of the manufacture thereof;

FIGURES 9, 10 and 11 are views similar to FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, respectively, but illustrating certain ditficulties overcome by the present invention; and

FIGURES 12, 13 and 14 are views similar to FIGURE 8 but showing further embodiments of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown a representative system for re-inking continuous typewriter ribbons, comprising broadly an approximately cylindrical fresh fluent ink supply cartridge 1 adapted to be rotatably adjustably confined within a resilient clamp 3 mounted upon the frame of a typewriting machine and having a laterally extending first tube 5 in sealed relationship therewith and opening thereinto. A cylindrical felt wick 7 is snugly confined within tube 5. A cylindrical ink transfer roller 9 is journalled for rotation upon the machine frame about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of cartridge 1 within clamp 3. Roller 9 coacts with wick 7 and with a continuous, advancing ribbon 11 of the printing machine so as to produce a band 13 of ink which proceeds from the wick to the roller to the ribbon during normal advancement of the ribbon. Ribbon 11 is fed from a supply spool 15 past a set of spaced parallel guide rolls 17 and 19 coacting with one face of the ribbon while the roller 9 coacts with the opposite face of ribbon 11. The tension on the advancing ribbon is maintained sufficiently high to cause ribbon 11 to rotate roller 9.

Cartridge 1 is of hermetically sealed construction, each cartridge unit comprising a cylindrical, relatively deep cupshaped lower casing 21 and a closure cap 23 having an annular lip 25 at its lower end for securing interconnection with lower casing 21. At its upper end, closure cap 23 is provided with a vent opening 27 therethrough which is normally sealed by an integral sealing projection 29 which is frangible and hence removable by destruction to expose opening 27. The free or outer end of tube 5 has a cutaway portion 31 so that it encompasses no more than a portion of the end of the wick thereby rendering a substantial length of the wick end usable as an ink applicator. This cutaway portion of tube 5 is initially enclosed within a sealing cap 33 either screwed or slip-fitted over the tube end and sealed by a gasket or seal strip 35, as shown in FIGURE 2.

The structure and mode of assembly and use of the device as described thus far are further discussed in the earlier Knight patent recited above, and reference is had to this patent for a fuller disclosure of such features.

A batch or quantity of ink 37 is disposed in lower casing 21, and that portion of wick 7 which is disposed within the hollow container body depends downward into the ink, tube 5 opening into the container body above the level of the ink. A second tube 39 is disposed within and is freely movable relative to the hollow container body and snugly encloses a major portion of that part of wick 7 which is within the body. The adjacent ends of tubes 5 and 39 are spaced apart so as to expose a portion of wick 7 to the interior of the hollow container body adjacent tube 5. The upper end of tube 39 is spaced above the ink level at all times. The lower end of tube 39 is open.

Wick 7 is relatively soft and pliable and has high capillarity, but the end thereof at the free end of tube 5, although it has ink-feeding properties, has reduced capillarity and greater hardness relative to the remainder of the wick, according to the principles and for the purposes described more fully in the later Knight patent recited above. Thus, exposed portion 41 of wick 7 adjacent cutaway portion 31 of tube 5 is impregnated throughout its thickness with a hardened substance which renders it nondeformable and its surfaces rigid. The portion of wick 7 thus hardened by impregnation is roughly coextensive with exposed portion 41 so that little if any of the hardened portion extends into that portion of tube 5 which entirely encircles wick 7.

That portion of wick 7 which extends along or within tube 5 is disposed transversely of the axis of roller 9, and the periphery of exposed portion 41 includes a flat surface 43 having substantial extent lengthwise of that transverse portion of wick 7. Flat surface 43 lies in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of cartridge 1 within resilient clamp 3. This relationship is best illustrated in FIGURE 3, in which the line 45 represents a line parallel to both the axis of roller 9 and the axis of cartridge 1. Flat surface 43 is bounded at opposite sides by a pair of longitudinal side edges 47 and 49 disposed lengthwise of that transverse wick portion. Each of these edges is a junction between fiat surface 43 and the remainder of the periphery of the wick end. Specifically, each of the edges is a junction between flat surface 43 and a flat surface 51 disposed on either side thereof. Flat surfaces 43 and 51 are not enclosed by tube 5 but are disposed. within the extended cylindrical contour of that portion of the wick which is entirely encompassed by tube 5. Flat surface 43 forms an angle with either of flat surfaces 51 at edge 47 or 49 which is not more than about 166 and preferably is not less than about 104. Flat surface 43 has line contact with the cylindrical ink transfer surface of roller 9 along a line of contact 53 of substantial length disposed transversely of the length of that transverse wick portion and parallel to the axes of roller 9 and cartridge 1. Line of contact 53 terminates at its ends in edges 47 and 49. The cross-sectional area of exposed portion 41 is substantially greater than the square of the length of line of contact 53, as illustrated by the imaginary square 55 shown in FIGURES 5 and 8.

A rivet 57 extends through the outermost end of ex posed portion 41 and through the free end of tube 5 and secures these two parts together. No other fastening is employed for securing wick 7 in place.

A number of the additional difficulties initially recited are overcome by the structure thus far described. For example, the problem of gradually diminishing ink feed is solved by tube 39 which acts as a capillary tube in concert with the wick snugly disposed therein, so that the supply of ink in the wick at the top of tube 39 remains constant so long as there is sufiicient ink in batch 37 to supply the end of the wick at the lower end of tube 39. Thus, by hindsight, it now appears that the difiiculty with the previous constructions was that as the level of ink fell within the container to progressively lower levels, gravity acted against the capiilarity of the wick to give the same effect as though the wick were gradually drying by evaporation. Hence, tube 39 renders ink supply independent of ink level. However, it must be emphasized that the mere addition of any type of tube having capillary properties in connection with the wick it encloses is not a solution to the problem. For example, if tubes 5 and 39 were joined to each other, the continuous capillary action of the two tubes would produce such an overabundance of ink that although the reduced capillarity of exposed portion 41 would limit ink flow within wick 7, ink would nevertheless flood and run along the surfaces of exposed portion 41. It is therefore essential that adjacent ends of the first and second tubes 5 and 39, respectively, be spaced apart to expose a portion of the wick to the interior of the hollow container body to interrupt the capillarity of tubes 5 and 39 and permit gravity to regulate ink flow over this exposed portion to a desired, constant degree. A rather slender element interconnecting the adjacent ends of tubes 5 and 39 would not spoil this relationship. However, the actual separation of adjacent ends of tubes 5 and 39 from each other has the additional advantage that it renders tube 39 freely movable in the hollow container body about a universal, swinging connection provided by the portion of wick 7 between those adjacent tube ends. This makes ready assembly of the wick in the tubes possible and also enables easy assembly of the portions 21 and 23 of the container.

It must be understood that tube 39 is a feature of combination and produces its desirable results in combination with the reduced capillarity of the exposed portion 41. Thus, tube 39 assures that the supply of ink throughout the relatively soft portions of the wick of high capillarity will be overabundant but not quite a flood, at all times that there is any useable ink in the container, and exposed portion 41 of reduced capillarity assures that this overabundant supply will be restricted to just the desired supply at the applicator surface of the wick, so that ink feed remains at its desired level without diminution. Hence, the thickness of the applied band of ink remains constant.

Another difiiculty obviated by the present invention is that of variations in the width of the applied band of ink. The hardening of the wick takes care of a large part of the fluctuations of the width of the line which is obtained by the use of an entirely soft wick; but hardening the wick is not the complete answer to the problem. By the present invention, a fiat surface is provided on the wick and that fiat surface is made of a width equal to the desired line width. That fiat surface is elongated longitudinally of the transverse wick portion so that it need not be specially lined up with the ink transfer member. In addition, the flat surface is joined at its edges by further surfaces which are disposed at an angle to the flat surface of not more than about 166. The significance of this angle is that when it is more than about 166, that is, when the angle x of FIGURE 5 is less than about 14, the width of band 13 is found to vary, despite the use of a hardened wick end. Apparently, when the angle between the flat faces 51 and the adjacent elements of the cylindrical periphery of roller 9 becomes too small, that is, less than about 14, there is a limited capillarity between these opposed surfaces such that ink is drawn from edges 47 and 49 to overrun the desired limits of ink strip 13. Again, it must be emphasized that the use of the hardened wick as in the later Knight patent recited above avoided major irregularities in line width, so that it was not until the advent of this hardened wick that the relatively less troublesome difliculty which is overcome by the present invention could even be observed.

Despite the use of a hardened wick as described above, it is nevertheless impossible to prevent all deformation of the surface 43 upon pressure between the wick and the roller. Also, the friction between the wick and the roller ultimately causes a portion of surface 43 to wear away. Both of these tendencies may have the effect of increasing 6 the length of line of contact 53. Accordingly, it is pre ferred that angle-s x and y both be about A serious difliculty tends to arise, however, in the use of a wick having a rectangular cross section adjacent the roller contact surface. The reason for this will become apparent when it is considered that each point along line of contact 53 tends to draw ink from adjacent portions of the wick in all directions. Obviously, the center point on the line has an ample body of wick in all directions to draw from. But at the ends of the line of contact 53, that is, at edges 47 and 49 of flat surface 43, the applicator surfiace of the wick is to some extent robbed of its ink reservoir by the cutaway portion represented by the angle x. When the angle x is about 90, some decrease in the quantity of ink applied at the ends of line of contact 53 would be noted if the wick had a rectangular cross sectional configuration throughout. In other words, the applied hand of ink 16 would be thicker along its longitudinal midline than along its longitudinal side edges.

This tendency of the band of to be starved adjacent its edges when angles x and y are about 90 is overcome by the inventions shown in FIGURES l2, l3 and 14. As is there shown, although the surfaces of the wick which form right angular dihednals with the rollercontacting surface extend away from the roller-contacting surface a substantial distance, they soon merge with thickened portions of the wick which make up what otherwise would be the deficiency of the ink adjacent the right-angular edges of the roller-contacting surface. The thickened portions of the wick b ack from the roller-contacting surface should be spaced as close to the plane of the rollercontacting surface as possible without interference with the roller and without being so close that upon slight deformation or wear of the roller-contacting surface the thickened portions will come in contact with the roller. Also, the thickened wick portions to the rear of the rollercontacting surface of the wick must be sufiiciently far from that roller-contacting surface so that manufacturing tolerances will not cause the thickened portion to interfere with the roller or contact the roller at any time. It is preferred, therefore, that the thickened wick portion be spaced at least about half the width of the rollercontacting surface away from that surface. At the other extreme, the thickened portion should not be spaced more than about three times the width of the roller-contacting surface from that surface, it being understood that as the thickened portion moves away from the roller-contacting surface, the tendency of the edges of the applied band of ink to be starved for ink is increased.

Thus, the enlarged body portion oi the wick to the rear of the roller-contacting surface whether in the embodiment of FIGURE 8 or in the embodiments of FIG- URES 12, 13 and 14, serves as a reservoir for an excess of ink, so that no matter how sudden or severe is the demand for ink, there will always be an adequate supply of ink to the rear of the roller-contacting surface. The adequacy of this supply or reservoir of ink is assured by so proportioning the exposed portion of the wick that the cross-sectional area thereof is at least about twice the square of the length of line of contact 53. Preferably, the cross-sectional area of portion 41 is at least about ten times the area of the imaginary square 55 which is shown in FIGURES 5 and 8. As is shown in FIG- URES 12, 13 and 14, the most desirable relationship between the square of the line of contact and the size Olf the reservoir, that is, the cross section of the exposed portion of the wick, is as large as possible relative to the width of the line of contact.

The disposition of fiat surface 43 in a plane parallel to the axis of cartridge 1 is also important. The exterior parts of cartridge 1 constitute elements of a cylindrical bearing surface. These parts are shown as the tips of the ribs extending longitudinally of the cartridge in FIG- URES 1 and 2, but the cylindrical bearing surface could just as well be smoothly cylindrical since the purpose of the cylindrical bearing surface is to provide for rotation of cartridge 1 about its axis. Upon such rotation, an infinite number of lines on flat surface 43 parallel to both the axis of cartridge 1 and the axis of roller 9 move in such a way as not only to preserve that parallelism but also to preserve parallelism to their original positions, so that any imaginary line lying on flat surface 43 parallel to the axis Olf cylinder 1 may serve as a line of contact 53 in any rotated position of cartridge 1. Accordingly, the range of adjustability of the apparatus 18 very great. Obviously, the above principle is also adaptable to cartridges having rectilinear movement as in John P. Knight Patent No. 2,645,202, the essential operative relationship being that the container body has exterior parts constituting elements of a bearing surface such that the container body may be movably mounted in holding means for movement with the flat surface of the wick parallel to the axis of the ink transfer roller.

Finally, the attachment comprising rivet 57 is quite important. This attachment provides for the first tune a quick and sure interconnection between the wick and the remainder .of the cartridge, and of equal importance, enables the se'ourernent of wick 7 in tube 5 by means of nothing other than rivet 57. In the past, it was the practice to glue or cement the wick in tube 5; but this tended to alter the capillarity of the wick and render its inkfeeding properties other than those intended, so that ink flow was reduced substantially below designed levels. Also, the presence of cement or flue tended to cause the :free end of the tube to Warp. A single fastener such as rivet 57 at the outermost end of exposed portion 41 leaves ink flow unimpeded the same as though wick 7 were not secured at all relative to tube 5.

The hardening of exposed portion 41 is also important as a feature of combination in connection with rivet 57. Securement of the wick a substantial distance from that portion of tube 5 which entirely closes the wick leaves a length of wick end of substantial extent exposed. If this length were soft, it would be subject to dislodgement. But the hardened exposed portion, taken with the soft enclosed portion, prevents dislodgernent of the exposed portion, not only despite but also because of the presence of securing rivet 57.

A very important part of the present invention resides in that the exposed part of the Wick is impregnated uniformly throughout its thickness with a hardened substance which renders it substantially harder than the enclosed portion and which reduces but does not destroy the capillary quality of the exposed portion so that both the hardness and the capillary quality of the exposed portion are uniform throughout its thickness. In order to enable those skilled in the art to practice this aspect of the invention, the following illustrative example is given:

As a wick material, an elongated felt wick of circular cross section, of an inch in diameter and of commercial felt grade F-2 is selected. An impregnating solution is formed of 10 parts by weight of polymethylmethacrylate sold commercially by Rohm & Haas as Plexiglass Y-lOO or by DuPont as Lucite HG-40 dissolved in 53 parts by weight of ethylene dichloride. Suspended in this solution is 1 part by weight of lampblack. About of an inch of the end of the felt wick is immersed in this impregnating suspension solution, the solution soaking entirely through the thickness of the end of the wick and carrying the particles of lampblack with it since the interstices between the felt fibers are too large to strain out the particles of lampblack. The impregnated end is then introduced between the plates of a high frequency dielectric heater, 230-460 volt, 60-cycle, 3-phase, 6.3 kva. input at 90% power factor, 3 kw. output, set at 14 megacycles. The particles of lampblack serve as centers of induction and after one minute the solvent has evaporated and the wick end is dry and hard. Inasmuch as the particles of lanipblack are evenly distributed throughout the wick end, heating proceeds uniformly throughout the thickness of the wick end, that is, the temperature rises uniformly throughout the thickness so that at no time is there a temperature differential across the thickness of the wick end except upon subsequent cooling when it makes no difference as the wick end is then thoroughly dry and hard.

The subsequent steps of wick fabrication are illustrated in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8. FIGURE 6 shows a cross section of the impregnated hardened end of a Wick blank 59. A first flat cut 61 is then formed by abrading one side of the hardened end on an abrasive wheel. Then bevel cuts are made to define fiat sides 51 as seen in FIG- URE 8 so that the angle y in FIGURE 8 is not greater than about 166 and preferably not less than about 104.

In order fully to appreciate the advantages of uniform impregnation, reference will be had by way of contrast to earlier wick structures and their methods of formation, as indicated schematically in FIGURES 9, 10 and 11. Suppose, for example, that a round felt wick is immersed at its end in a solution of polymethylmethacrylate in ethylene dichloride, and the solution is permitted simply to air dry in the usual way. This amounts to applying heat only to the outer surface of the impregnated wick end, since evaporation of the solvent proceeds only at the surface. Thus, there is a progressive migration of solution from the interior of the wick to the outer surface of the wick as the solution at the outer surface is depleted by evaporation. Concomitantly, there is a buildup of concentration of acrylic resin at and closely adjacent the surface of the wick with a corresponding depletion thereof internally of the wick. A cross section of a hardened impregnated wick end thus produced by air drying is shown in FIGURE 9, in which the dots schematically represent the concentration of hardened substance over the cross section of the dried wick. In FIGURE 10, the wick of FIGURE 9 is shown after the first out has been made. If this first cut were used to provide the flat surface for contacting the ink transfer roller, the edges 63 of the flat surface thus provided would be much more heavy impregnated than the central portion 65, so that the capillarity of that flat surface would vary greatly across its width with resulting inequalities of ink flow. Also, the fiat surface would wear preferentially in the central portion. Forming the side bevels as indicated in FIGURE 11 would not cure these defects since the edges 67 would still be substantially more heavily impregnated, harder, and of less capilliarity than the central portion 69 of the fiat applicator surface.

The method of forming the embodiments of FIGURES 12, 13 and 14 is analogous to that of forming the preceding embodiment. In the case of FIGURE 12, a first fiat surface is formed on the wick as in FIGURE 7, and then this surface is cut away on both sides as at 71 so as to leave right-angular edges 73 bounding a rollercontacting surface 75 of desired width, the remaining or uncut portion of the wick forming a thickened portion 77 of a thickness measured parallel to surface 75 considerably greater than the width of surface 75.

In FIGURE 13, the Wick is made from felt stock of initially rectangular cross section. Upon cutting away portions at opposite sides of the wick as at 79 to leave right-angular edges 81 and a roller-contacting surface 83 and a thickened portion 35, the wick is thereby completed without the need for first beveling a flat surface in the plane of surface 83.

The embodiment of FIGURE 14, like that of FIGURE 12, is formed from felt stock of circular cross-sectional configuration by first cutting away side portions at 87, these side portions, however, being cut away so as to rovide recesses of oblique angularity but still leaving right-angular edges 89 and a roller-contacting surface 91 and a thickened portion 93. The embodiment of FIG- URE l4 enables a rather close approach of the thickened portion to the roller-contacting surface, so that the parallel sides that form right angles with surface 91 can be relatively narrow perpendicular to edges 89 with the result that the ink supplied to edges 89 will thereby be maintained in ample supply.

Thus, a number of important advantages derive from the uniformly impregnated wick of the present invention. In the first place, regardless of the cross-sectional configuration of the impregnated wick portion, the capillarity is uniform throughout so that the desired ink-feeding prop erties may be predetermined and reproduced from wick to wick during large scale commercial production. The ink-feeding properties of the Wick are not at the mercy of the vagaries of air drying or other methods of making non-uniformly impregnated wicks in which the ink-feeding properties cannot be closely controlled. Moreover, regardless of the cross-sectional configuration of the hardened wick end, there tends to be some wear between the wick and the ink transfer member over long periods of use. This Wear is harmless in the case of a uniformly impregnated wick but harmful in the case of a nonuniformly impregnated wick, since the latter will thereupon demonstrate progressively changing ink-feeding characteristics and surface hardness. But in the case of hardened wick ends having cross-sectional configurations according to the present invention, the advantages of a uniformly impregnated wick are especially dramatic, since the uniform impregnation permits the exposure of any desired portion of the interior of the wick with no change in hardness or ink-feeding properties, whereas a nonuniformly impregnated Wick would from the very outset present surface areas of varying hardness and varying ink-feeding characteristics, as illustrated by FIGURES and 11.

From a consideration of the foregoing, it will be seen that all of the initially recited objects of the present invention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the invention, as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sealed ink cartridge for application to a printing machine to supply fluid ink to an ink-carrying ribbon of the machine, comprising a hollow container body adapted to contain a quantity of fluid ink, a first tube secured to the body in sealed relationship therewith and opening Within the same and projecting laterally therefrom, a wick disposed within the first tube and extending within the hollow container body, the container body being adapted to be mounted with the tube opening into the same above the level of the fluid ink with the Wick depending into the hollow of the body, a second tube disposed within the hollow container body and snugly enclosing a major por tion of that part of the wick which is within the body, a portion of that part of the wick which is within the body adjacent the first tube being exposed to the interior of the hollow container body, means forming a vent opening for the body adjacent the portion to which the first tube is secured, and means for sealing the vent opening and for sealing the free end of the first tube and being removable to open the vent opening and expose the end of the wick for use of the cartirdge, said end of the wick having inkfeeding properties but relatively less capillarity than the portion of the wick within the first tube, whereby relatively abundant supply of ink through the wick is restricted at said end of the wick to minimze variations in ink delivery.

2. A sealed ink cartridge for application to a machine to supply fluid ink to an ink-carrying ribbon of the machine, comprising a hollow container body adapted to contain a quantity of fluid ink, a first tube secured to the body in sealed relationship therewith and opening within the same and projecting laterally therefrom, a wick disposed within the first tube and extending within the hollow container body, the container body being adapted to be mounted with the tube opening into the same above the level of the fluid ink with the wick depending into the hollow of the body, a second tube disposed within and freely movable relative to the hollow container body and snugly enclosing a major portion of that part of the wick which is within the body, the adjacent ends of the first and second tubes being spaced apart to expose a portion of the wick to the interior of the hollow container body adjacent the first tube, means forming a vent opening for the body adjacent the portion to which the first tube is secured, and means for sealing the vent opening and for sealing the free end of the first tube and being removable to open the vent opening and expose the end of the wick for use of the cartridge, said end of the wick having inkfeeding properties but relatively less capillarity than the portion of the wick within the first tube, whereby relatively abundant supply of ink through the wick is restricted at said end of the wick to minimize variations in ink delivery.

3. In a printing machine having an ink transfer roller, a sealed ink cartridge for application to the machine to supply fluid ink to the roller, said cartridge comprising a hollow container body adapted to contain a quantity of fluid ink, a tube secured to the body in sealed relationship and opening within the body and projecting laterally therefrom, a wick disposed within the tube and'extending within the hollow container body, and closure means for the free end of the tube in sealed relationship therewith, the end portion of the wick being exposed upon removal of said closure means for transmission of fluid ink from the container body through the wick and the exposed portion thereof, said exposed portion of the wick having a flat surface of substantial extent lengthwise of the tube, said hollow container body having exterior parts constituting elements of a bearing surface such that the container body may be movably mounted in holding means for movement with said flat surface parallel to the axis of the ink transfer roller, said exposed portion of the wick adjacent said flat surface having ink-feeding properties but having internal structure adjacent and extending up to and terminating at said flat surface of relatively less capillary quality than a portion of the wick spaced from said exposed portion.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, said flat surface terminating in an edge disposed lengthwise of said tube, said edge being a junction between said flat surface and another part of the surface of the exposed portion of the wick, said flat surface and said another part of the surface forming an angle of not more than about 166 at said edge.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, said exterior parts of said hollow container body constituting elements of a cylindrical bearing surface of which the axis is parallel to said flat surface.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, said internal structure of said exposed portion of the wick being substantially harder than at least a portion of the remainder of the wick whereby said flat surface is rigid.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, said flat surface terminating in an edge disposed lengthwise of said tube, said edge being a junction between said flat surface and another part of the surface of the exposed portion of the wick, said flat surface and said another part of the surface forming an angle of not more than about 166 at said edge.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, said exterior parts of said hollow container body constituting elements of a cylindrical bearing surface of which the axis is parallel to said flat surface.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Knight.

Esche 117-1212 5 Nelson 11814.2

Geppert 117-1212 Pelson.

Maynard 118268 X Chollar.

Markes.

Markes 118-260 Knight 118268 Knight 118260 Brown.

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain. Great Britain. 

1. A SEALED INK CARTRIDGE FOR APPLICATION TO A PRINTING MACHINE TO SUPPLY FLUID INK TO AN INK-CARRYING RIBBON OF THE MACHINE, COMPRISING A HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A QUANTITY OF FLUID INK, A FIRST TUBE SECURED TO THE BODY IN SEALED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH AND OPENING WITHIN THE SAME AND PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM, A WICK DISPOSED WITHIN THE FIRST TUBE AND EXTENDING WITHIN THE HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY, THE CONTAINER BODY BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED WITH THE TUBE OPENING INTO THE SAME ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE FLUID INK WITH THE WICK DEPENDING INTO THE HOLLOW OF THE BODY, A SECOND TUBE DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY AND SNUGLY ENCLOSING A MAJOR PORTION OF THAT PART OF THE WICK WHICH IS WITHIN THE BODY, A PORTION OF THAT PART OF THE WICK WHICH IS WITHIN THE BODY ADJACENT THE FIRST TUBE BEING EXPOSED TO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOLLOW CONTAINER BODY, MEANS FORMING A VENT OPENING FOR THE BODY ADJACENT THE PORTION TO WHICH THE FIRST TUBE IS SECURED, AND MEANS FOR SEALING THE VENT OPENING AND FOR SEALING THE FREE END OF THE FIRST TUBE AND BEING REMOVABLE TO OPEN THE VENT OPENING AND EXPOSE THE END OF THE WICK FOR USE OF THE CARTRIDGE, SAID END OF THE WICK HAVING INKFEEDING PORPERTIES BUT RELATIVELY LESS CAPILLARITY THAN THE PORTION OF THE WICK WITHIN THE FIRST TUBE, WHEREBY RELATIVELY ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF INK THROUGH THE WICK IS RESTRICTED AT SAID END OF THE WICK TO MINIMIZE VARIATIONS IN INK DELIVERY. 